Apple’s latest product announcement has left many journalists predictably unimpressed. The iPhone 5 is boring, they say. Or it’s not revolutionary enough. Some have even accused Apple of playing it safe and avoiding risks.

But why must a device take us by surprise and beat us over the head with its novelty? Sure, the first iPhone did those things, but since when is that the recipe for longevity?

Never. How many smartphones are going to be remembered in 20 years? I can guarantee that, of the hundreds (probably thousands) of Android devices made, very few will be. You can count the iPhone as a product that will be an icon of this decade, though.